How One Simple Question Became My Leadership Compass for 40 Years | Jim Carlough

In this powerful episode of Conversations That Grow, Sadaf Beynon sits down with Jim Carlough, Chief Sales Officer at mPulse and author of "The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership." The conversation centres around a pivotal moment in Jim's early career that fundamentally shaped his approach to leadership. Fresh out of college in 1983 and newly elected as a city councilman, Jim received life-changing advice from city administrator Donnie Tate that would become his daily practice for over 40 years. Tate challenged Jim to ask himself one simple question every night: "Did I do anything today for my own personal benefit that was at the expense of another individual, group of individuals, or organisation?" This nightly reflection became Jim's compass through decades of business challenges, team turnarounds, and leadership decisions. Throughout the episode, Jim shares real-world examples of how this integrity-first approach helped him transform struggling organisations, build high-performing teams, and navigate complex business situations whilst maintaining his core values.

Three Key Actionable Takeaways

The Daily Integrity Check Every night before bed, ask yourself one question: "Did I do anything today for my own personal benefit that was at the expense of another individual, group, or organisation?" Answer with a simple yes or no. If it's no, sleep peacefully knowing you've done right. If it's yes, reflect on how to avoid repeating that behaviour and consider how to fix what you've done. This simple practice becomes your moral compass and builds the foundation for authentic leadership that people actually want to follow.

Listen Before You Lead When taking on a new leadership role or trying to turn around a struggling team, resist the urge to make immediate changes. Spend 30-45 days just listening and observing to understand the real challenges. Not everything needs gutting - often there are solid foundations you can build upon. Focus on understanding what works, what doesn't, and why things are the way they are before implementing any changes. This approach helps you keep the good whilst addressing the real problems.

Build Trust Through Transparency and Consistency Trust isn't built through grand gestures but through consistent, transparent behaviour over time. Include your team in decision-making processes rather than excluding them. Admit when you don't have all the answers and work collaboratively to find solutions. Show up the same way every day - your team needs to know that your behaviour will be predictable and reliable. Without this foundation of trust, no other leadership skills matter because people simply won't follow you.

Resources:

Guest Links:

• mPulse: https://mpulse.com/
• Jim's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Six-Pillars-Effective-Leadership-Roadmap/dp/B0DQWT93V7

Conversations that Grow Ecosystem:

• Conversations that Grow Home: https://conversationsthatgrowpodcast.com/
• Podjunction Home: https://podjunction.com/

Guest Links:

• Jim's Website: https://www.jimcarlough.com/
• Jim's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcarlough/
• mPulse: https://mpulse.com/
• Jim's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Six-Pillars-Effective-Leadership-Roadmap/dp/B0DQWT93V7

Conversations that Grow Ecosystem:

• Conversations that Grow Home: https://conversationsthatgrowpodcast.com/
• Podjunction Home: https://podjunction.com/